In November 2017, the Trump administration named China a « strategic competitor » in its national security strategy and waged a trade war and a technology war against China.
On March 3, the Biden administration issued the Interim National Security Strategic Guidance out in the China as the No. 1 competitor of the US and « the only competitor that is potentially able to combine its economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to create a sustainable challenge for a stable and open international. » System. «
China seems to be different. Relations with the US are ultimately seen as mutual and win-win. Cooperation is much harder in this regard, although there is competition.
On March 7, when answering a question about China-US relations, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi replied: « It is normal that the China-US relations have a competitive element when our interests grow together, and it is crucial that the two sides should work for healthy competition on a fair and equitable basis to improve themselves and improve one another, rather than with that Pointing fingers or playing a zero-sum game. More importantly, cooperation should be the primary goal for both China and the United States in China, in the interests of both countries and the world. «
China and the United States see competition in a different light. The US views strategic competition as a zero-sum game where rivalry is central and only one winner wins. President Joe Biden also said in the National Security Strategic Guidance that in all of its current endeavors the US has one goal of outperforming China and asserting itself.
According to the guidelines, « the most effective way for America is to keep China long-term. » excel in investing in our people, our economy and our democracy « . The US wants to beat China because it sees China as a threat to its values and lifestyle. The guidelines also state: « We will also deter Chinese aggression and counter threats to our collective security, our prosperity and our democratic way of life. »
China rejects the idea of a pure zero-sum game. The competition should not aim to contain, weaken or even defeat the opposing party. China and the US can inspire each other and grow together instead of engaging in a zero-sum game.
China envisions a new kind of relationship between large countries based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation and free from conflict or confrontations. It says that different values and ways of life live together in harmony and can be successful together in a community with a common future for humanity. As tensions between China and the US escalated in the face of widespread confrontations by former President Donald Trump, China proposed a transition strategy to move bilateral relations forward based on coordination, cooperation and stability.
Both China and the US agree that competition should be rules-based, but they approach rules from different angles. The US extols the « American state of emergency » in international affairs and invokes domestic laws in external affairs at will. China stresses that bilateral relations must be based on fundamental principles and norms of international law that are generally accepted by the international community and are not unilaterally defined by the US. Competition should be healthy and fair and equitable.
China hopes that strategic, security and many other areas that require global cooperation will be excluded from competition. Under Trump, the US gradually expanded its policy of confrontation from the trade war to all aspects of China-US relations in order to demonstrate « strategic competition ».
China and the US differ fundamentally in « competitive » strategies. The USA wants to triumph over China through « strategic competition » and thus reject the concept of win-win cooperation proposed by China. The US believes that China is the only winner in the status quo and the US is the only loser, while China believes that bilateral relations are mutual and essentially win-win, and that cooperation has been, is and will be the defining characteristic should.
It doesn’t have to be all-win or lose for China or the US, as everyone can thrive in their own way and the two can live together in harmony. As a developing country in the primary phase of socialism, China lags far behind the US in its composite national strength and has no intention of challenging the superpower. China believes that in a multipolar world, as it will be in the future, there will be no place for a hegemon and that China will certainly not have a hegemon instead of the USA.
The differently defined competition reflects the competitive dynamics between China and the USA. This, in turn, will guide policy making and influence the future direction of bilateral relations.
With the world still battling COVID-19, there is arduous work in terms of post-pandemic reconstruction, economic recovery and the challenges of the global governance such as climate change and food security.
In the meantime, the US and China have to deal with complex governance issues at home as well. It is rational, pragmatic and realistic to take more cooperative rather than confrontational measures in bilateral relations.
The author is director of the Institute for Peaceful Development of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Views do not necessarily reflect China Daily.
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